94
M. K. Puteri Zarina et al.
the 1990s. Hence, the streamlining and upgrading of sixty-nine secondary vocational schools (SMV) to technical schools (SMT) had been consciously included
in the changes made to the TVET system in 1995. This reform was also extended
to several other institutions which provided students with technical and vocational
skills training, namely the Community Colleges, ITI’s, polytechnics and MARA
Vocational Institutes (IKM). All these efforts have not been in vain for the ablebodied students, however, there was not much luck for our students with disabilities,
particularly autistic population in their post-secondary educational pathways.
C. Definition of autism
According to the American Psychiatric Association (2000), autism is a neurodevelopmental syndrome that is characterised by “deficits in social reciprocity and
communication, and by unusual restricted, repetitive behaviours” [11]. Autism is an
ailment that can be usually detected in infancy. This neurodevelopmental ailment
is a diverse condition where no two autistic persons share similar profiles. It is a
contrastive disorder demarcating extra abilities and shortfalls in a sufferer’s socialcommunicative development that are often taken for granted. However, the complexities can be consistently measured across time, although the changes in specific
behaviours may occur with development. An autistic child who can memorise alphabets and identify numbers may not respond to his name being called or trail a pointing
gesture. Autistic adults normally have an array of characteristics from complete
dependency on others to extraordinarily accomplished professions.
10.2 Literature Review
Kim (2017) conducted a case study on autistic Korean-American post-secondary
students’ experiences [12]. The study suggests that the students’ experiences were
shaped by the intersection of racism, multilingualism and ableism. The participants
responded to their intersectional experiences by seeking to change their malleable
traits, such as socio-economic status. While the participants of this study are minorities among minorities, a close examination of their lived experiences has meaningful
implications for broader populations of students from diverse backgrounds.
Electronic-mentoring (E-mentoring) is a viable tool to encourage post-secondary
education enrolment among youths with special needs [13]. This mechanism helps
to characterise the distinctive impacts of the electronic coaching programme for
Malaysian youths with special needs. Majority of the participants conceded the positive impacts of E-mentoring on their social, academic, identity and academic developments. TVET is considered as the means to reduce stigmatisation and discrimination
by means of empowering persons with disabilities with constructing their confidence and shifting perceptions both for the disabled and the people around them.
The ability to master technical or professional skills such as carpentry, computing or
veterinary work proves that those trades are also suitable for disabled people. The
need for a change of education setting from an academic-based one to vocational and
M. K. Puteri Zarina et al.
the 1990s. Hence, the streamlining and upgrading of sixty-nine secondary vocational schools (SMV) to technical schools (SMT) had been consciously included
in the changes made to the TVET system in 1995. This reform was also extended
to several other institutions which provided students with technical and vocational
skills training, namely the Community Colleges, ITI’s, polytechnics and MARA
Vocational Institutes (IKM). All these efforts have not been in vain for the ablebodied students, however, there was not much luck for our students with disabilities,
particularly autistic population in their post-secondary educational pathways.
C. Definition of autism
According to the American Psychiatric Association (2000), autism is a neurodevelopmental syndrome that is characterised by “deficits in social reciprocity and
communication, and by unusual restricted, repetitive behaviours” [11]. Autism is an
ailment that can be usually detected in infancy. This neurodevelopmental ailment
is a diverse condition where no two autistic persons share similar profiles. It is a
contrastive disorder demarcating extra abilities and shortfalls in a sufferer’s socialcommunicative development that are often taken for granted. However, the complexities can be consistently measured across time, although the changes in specific
behaviours may occur with development. An autistic child who can memorise alphabets and identify numbers may not respond to his name being called or trail a pointing
gesture. Autistic adults normally have an array of characteristics from complete
dependency on others to extraordinarily accomplished professions.
10.2 Literature Review
Kim (2017) conducted a case study on autistic Korean-American post-secondary
students’ experiences [12]. The study suggests that the students’ experiences were
shaped by the intersection of racism, multilingualism and ableism. The participants
responded to their intersectional experiences by seeking to change their malleable
traits, such as socio-economic status. While the participants of this study are minorities among minorities, a close examination of their lived experiences has meaningful
implications for broader populations of students from diverse backgrounds.
Electronic-mentoring (E-mentoring) is a viable tool to encourage post-secondary
education enrolment among youths with special needs [13]. This mechanism helps
to characterise the distinctive impacts of the electronic coaching programme for
Malaysian youths with special needs. Majority of the participants conceded the positive impacts of E-mentoring on their social, academic, identity and academic developments. TVET is considered as the means to reduce stigmatisation and discrimination
by means of empowering persons with disabilities with constructing their confidence and shifting perceptions both for the disabled and the people around them.
The ability to master technical or professional skills such as carpentry, computing or
veterinary work proves that those trades are also suitable for disabled people. The
need for a change of education setting from an academic-based one to vocational and